


Detroit: Undone

by nick_i_kenicki



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Android Hank Anderson, Angst, Gen, Human Connor (Detroit: Become Human), Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Role Reversal
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-28
Updated: 2019-07-29
Packaged: 2019-09-29 02:00:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 17,395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17194394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nick_i_kenicki/pseuds/nick_i_kenicki
Summary: A canon divergent piece following Hank, an android gifted to work as a social guide to Connor, a troubled human. Both with a place at the center of the android revolution.





	1. Pleasure to Meet You

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first time I'm writing a fic in a long time and it's unbeta'd so don't @ me if there's mistakes lol. Also a semi longish first chapter.

All the information that had been digitally stored around the world for the last 10 years took less than .7 seconds to upload. Sorting the data and processing it was more a matter of guess and check. Could he physically tell the age of a human in front of him by bone density and skin analysis? Yes. Could he immediately tell the maturity of that same human by a simple scan? No. Like all androids, his protocols admitted him to deduce if the situational facts didn't provide enough information.

 

He opened his eyes and scanned both the situation and human in front of him before he could speak. The room was small, sterile. The location pin dinged in his ear and he read the map behind his eyelids that stated they were in a private hospital room. He flipped through thousands of images in his data banks and found that the room's interior most matched with the words expensive or luxury. The overhead lighting was dim and there were no windows but a large television sat near the door. Clothes were hung up messily in an open oakwood closet and the badly tucked sheets were a fine silk blend. The human had been staying in the hospital suite for awhile but an external scan couldn't place why. 

 

He stopped scanning and let the human activate him formally. A touch on the LED and a wave of the activation key over his retinal scanners as per the instructions. Notifications filled his vision but he ignored them to listen. “Hello, I'm the person that bought you. My name is Kent Anderson.” The information was stored immediately with a flash on his eyes. A quick identification match of the face confirmed that his owner was in fact who he said he was, however his ID picture was younger. In reality Kent's eyes were a sharper blue and his face looked more stressed than the picture could convey. While Kent was 30 in age, whatever was stressing him out made him read as older. The fatigue was visible in the slump of his shoulders and bags under his eyes. 

 

Kent looked down at a sheet of written instructions and muttered the next lines to himself. “Oh, a name. You need a name. We'll call you ummm Hank, I guess”, Kent said with a sigh. He ran a hand through his dark hair and went through extra options on the typical android set up list. Kent told Hank that he was modeled after a 50 something year old male. He was a special model made by a private inventor. He was heavyset and had silver hair with a voice sample to match. “What is my role?” Hank eventually asked with a gravelly baritone. He would have to get used to using a human voice.

 

Kent smirked, a little bitter. “Even though I'm your buyer and one of your many sponsors, the way you can best assist us is by being a social advisor, so to speak, to my brother. Think of it as a show of your therapeutic range.” Kent took out his phone and compared it to whatever was written in the instruction sheet. “Your ability to download outside information concerning my brother will be limited beyond ID and voice recognition so we can get an idea of your deductive skills.” Hank searched in his head for Kent's brother but found nothing but an old ID picture and a tangled family tree. True to the word, Hank couldn't find any additional details. His LED flashed red. Kent chuckled, stood up and gestured for Hank to follow.

 

The hospital ward they were in looked like the inside of decadent hotel. The lights were crystalline and the walls were decorated with a modern cool color palette. Each room they passed had a number and heavy lock. It was like a zoo with no windows. Hank could deduce something was particular about their area of the hospital. For instance, he and Kent were the only two walking the halls which was unusual in the medical field and there were no signs of androids. Usually android charging stations were all over professional buildings, but there was nothing. 

 

As they went down the hall even signs of human life started to disappear. There was a block of maybe three empty rooms to a full one. Hank wasn't sure if the space was on purpose to keep patients separated or if the other rooms used to be filled too. While Hank was thinking on it though, he heard signs of life from one of the bolt locked doors. Quiet voices and a little laughter. Static. They were talking and watching TV. Hank synced himself to the television in the other room and saw what they saw.

 

The television showed a young man named Markus Manfred with two androids by his side talking about deviant androids and their rights. He spoke with conviction and related his androids to art pieces. Unique and improved on humans. One of the androids was modeled after a man older than Hank himself and the other was closer to Markus in age. The were smiling and holding up their fists in agreement. Hank felt himself grumble absently. He had no opinion on androids who pretended to be human. It was silly. He could see why the humans were laughing.

 

“When you meet my brother Connor”, Kent spoke up. “You're gonna have to try not to be so … dull.” Hank unsynced from the other patient's room and narrowed his eyes. “You're asking me to be deviant?” His LED blinked an uncomfortable yellow. Kent stopped in his tracks like he was hit. “Oh God no, I'm not some android freedom fighter. I just mean that Connor is a little difficult. He might not be so forthcoming if you act like you don't care.” Hank nodded like he understood but he didn't. He didn't care.

 

“Anyways, we're here”, Kent said while gesturing to a dark door a ways away from the other ones. A hastily made sign that said ‘Do Not Enter’ was hung up on the doorknob. Kent took a deep breath, ripped the sign off and crumbled it into his pocket before pushing the door open. Hank tried to ignore Kent's heart rate speed up and followed.

 

The room looked alot like the one Hank was booted up in but it was dark. The curtains had been drawn so tight that the sun couldn't have even hoped to come in. A monitor beeped in the background. Old technology. The IV bag was hooked up to a needle as opposed to the more modern magnetic approach. The man's face was obscured by a curtain that separated him from the door. The lamp on the nightstand beside him didn't have a light bulb in it.

 

“Hey Conman”, Kent called with a sticky voice like talking to a child. There was a long pause before a cold voice answered, “Don't call me that, Nines.” Kent stiffened and gave a curt chuckle. “I guess I deserved that. Oh, I saw your little art piece on the door. Didn't think they let you have pencils.” Kent unfurled the Do Not Enter sign from his pocket and tossed it in the trash bin. Without looking beyond his curtain, Connor held up a middle finger. Hank watched them interact and wondered when he was going to be introduced. Nothing came so he looked over for a social cue. Kent looked back, blue eyes both cold and amused, like was eager to give his brother a new toy. He gave Hank a sharp shove toward the bed and made an empty gesture toward Connor.

 

Hank remembered what Kent told him about acting like an android so he cleared his throat like a human would and said, “Hey there buddy.” It was awkward but sounded somewhat appropriate with his voice and demeanor. Connor sat up behind the curtain like he was taken aback. He must not have noticed Kent wasn't alone. Hank continued to push forward, “Your brother said I'm here to be something like a guide or advisor to you.” Connor had his knees pulled up to his chest so Hank sat down on the edge of the bed. He mimicked a movement Kent had used earlier, a hand through his hair and added, “If that's okay.”

 

After a moment of stunned silence, Hank peeked over to get a good look at Connor. He had dark eyes where Kent's were blue and a smattering of freckle-like moles. As far as facial structure they were almost identical except that Connor was slimmer and smaller. Kent had his hair cut and pulled away from his face but Connor let his hang, like a professional style that grew out. There was gauze that started around his hands went up his arms. The expression he had was a mix between confused, irritated and poisonous. Kent looked like he could barely contain his laughter behind them. 

 

Hank reached his hand out while Connor watched in disbelief and said in his gruff voice, “Pleasure to meet you Connor Anderson.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connor and Hank meet and get their objective.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took me awhile, been dealing with some tendonitis. Also I made a mistake, the first chapter listed them as the Anderson twins but they are actually the Stern twins.

“Kent what the fuck? What the fuck Kent?” Connor questioned while moving to get off of his bed. Hank stood up and shuffled back. “I’m sorry, I didn't mean to scare you.” Connor looked incredulous as he moved in a wide circle around Hank. His dark eyes were wild with confusion and his voice was strained, “ Didn't mean to scare me? Didn't mean to-? Kent! You know how I feel about help!” Connor spoke as if Kent had brought a snake to the room. Hank simply stood still to observe while Kent met Connor in the middle of the room. He didn't look amused.

 

When Kent and Connor stood toe to toe, their height difference became painfully evident. Connor was maybe ‘5,11’? ‘6,0’? Kent however stood a good head above him, almost looming. It was hard to tell if was a height thing or more of an authority thing. Either way, it was obvious Connor felt it by the way he backed down. Hank analyzed both of their micro expressions and found that their standing up to each other was not a new thing. There was something cold and firm in the way Kent spoke that wasn't there earlier.. “Listen,” he started in a low tone. “You're going to take this android and it is going to help you and that is final.” Connor looked like he wanted to argue further but Kent held up his hand. “Unless you want me to get Mom involved.”

 

At the mention of their mother, Connor visibly deflated. He shrunk into himself like a beat dog and turned his gaze to the floor. Hank looked to Kent for some sort of clarification, but there was none. His face brimmed with emotion when Connor wasn't looking, a little guilty triumph and a twinge of sadness. It was the face of a parent who claimed that punishments hurt them more than the child. Kent shook away whatever conflicted emotions their mother brought and feigned a wide smile. “I mean, hey Conman, it'll be fun to get back to work with this thing. You're first day out in weeks and back to the force with fancy new tech. You can call it your emotional support android.” Connor was still visibly shaken but resigned and gave Kent a soft punch on the shoulder while forcing a laugh. 

 

Hank felt his LED go yellow and blink as it stored information. Both of the Stern twins were easy to read which made Hank's job easier. Most diagnostic android programs labeled things as owner = right and everyone else = wrong. If he were an older model he would see Kent as a direct foil to Connor whom he had to protect, but Hank had nuance. Neither man was a direct threat to the other. They were equally competent and therefore both integral parts in his role as a social guide.

 

Kent stopped teasing Connor to make a wide gesture at Hank.

 

“Come here… Hal?” 

 

“You named him Hal?”

 

“You named me Hank earlier”, Hank interrupted as he went to stand next to Kent. He was getting used to the voice and body. It had some authority that made both men look at him like he knew what he was talking about. That was probably why they modeled him after an older adult. He couldn't say he didn't being looked up to. As soon as Hank made that realization though, a blue exclamation point popped up in the corner of his vision. It was gone the instant Hank tried to open the message it came with. It was … weird, to say the least.

 

Hank ignored the blip and allowed Kent to tell him the details of what was going to happen next. “So here's what we're doing today”, Kent started. “You two, Connor and Hank, are going to drop by the police station to pick up all the cases you missed over the last few weeks.” Connor rolled his eyes but didn't protest. Kent turned to Hank and put a hand on his shoulder, “You're going to be his Jiminy Cricket okay? I want you to stay on his neck. No smoking a pack a day, no drinking half a bottle before driving and no letting him out of your sight. He's a runner.” Kent phrased it like a joke but it didn't seem to ring very funny for either of them. To suffice, Hank offered a simple, “Yes sir.”

 

Kent nodded and turned to Connor with a little less enthusiasm. Connor didn't look like he liked where the conversation was going much either. “Do you think you can manage that? For me? You won't have to do any real work as long as you let the android do all the hard stuff and relax.” Dejected, Connor answered, “Yeah sure.” 

 

Kent quirked a little smile. “Atta boy. I'm gonna hail a car to the DPD for you to pick up the most important files okay? Say hi to some familiar faces.” Kent gave a look and Hank started to dial the automated taxi service. While filling in the first time payment information himself, Hank confirmed that the ride would be coming after checkout. Connor only looked at him, weary while Kent smiled.

 

“Well I'll let you and your new best friend get ready while I go check you out at the front desk” Kent said as he walked out, leaving Connor and Hank by themselves. While it wasn't exactly in his protocol, Hank could read the awkwardness in the room. Connor was timid but he seemed a little lighter now that Kent was gone. Something about being together alone for the first of very many times felt important. Hank pinned the date on his calendar as Connor went back to his bed.

 

Connor had a sad smile. “I've been in here for so long that I don't even know what it's like out there anymore. Days, weeks, months, it all blurs in here.” He shook his head to himself. “I don't even know what I'm doing. It's like I'm talking to a brick wall.” Hank waited a beat before stepping closer and answering, “I would say I'm a little more responsive than a wall.” Connor looked at him wide eyed and gave a quiet little laugh. The laugh seemed so foreign that it could count as an achievement on Hank's part.

 

Connor suddenly ran his hands through his hair, nervous. Hank logged the gesture in his new files and raised his eyebrows quizzically. “Uh, I know you don't really care or anything, but do you mind turning around while I change?” Connor asked with a crack in his voice. Hank spun on his heel to look away immediately. He logged that habit in his data as well. The shuffling behind him was slow and pained, Hank was sure he heard Connor grunt as he changed. He resisted the urge to turn and help.

 

Kent returned a few moments later to a dingy dressed Connor. Kent, with all of his his sleek clothes could only shake his head as he lead them out of the room They went down the hall Kent brought Hank through, past the room they started in and on an elevator to the first floor. While they were on the elevator Hank scanned and registered that Connor's breathing was accelerated. He was also shaking. Nervous. Hank reviewed all his options in the seconds they had before the doors opened. Kent was in front of them fiddling with his phone and there were no security cameras to catch the seemingly deviant act he was about to perform.

 

With a cautious, but heavy hand, Hank touched Connor's shoulder. It was the first human Hank had ever touched and the sensation was almost indescribable. Even through his clothes Connor’s skin was so warm. The pent up energy, the bated confusion, the anticipation, it was impossibly alive. Hank ripped his hand away. There was a moment of silence while Connor looked back at him. Surprisingly, he didn't seem angry. Before either of them could speak on it though, the elevator doors opened.

 

The first floor was bright. Brighter than anything Hank had seen in his short existence. Both he and Connor shifted uncomfortably while Kent pushed ahead. The floor was bustling with people and nurses just like the pictures of hospital settings Hank had downloaded. “Come on boys”, Kent said with quick pace. He seemed more at home amongst the rush, multitasking than in the quiet void earlier. It called into question how different the twins were. 

 

Hank was preoccupied with scanning all the androids he came across. It was a sight to behold, all androids at the front desk, androids taking care of crying babies and a particularly cheery android trying to speak with Kent. It's smile was pasted on like all the other service bots despite the lack of attention Kent was offering. “Sir, please, I must ask that we have the patient confirm-.” Kent brushed the android out of the way with an unintentional shove. It fell to the floor with a thud and Kent continued out to the car. Connor stopped in his tracks and helped it to its feet. “I'm sorry, are you okay?” The android simply regarded Connor curiously before getting up and hurrying off to the next task. 

 

All Hank and Connor could do is exchange a look. He wasn't like them. Whatever directive told them to smile constantly and return to work quietly was not in him. Hank was able to respond within the limits of his programs, not to stand by and let anything happened. It was unnerving but Hank couldn't decide why he thought it was or why he was thinking at all. Another flash of blue turned up in the corner of his vision.

 

Hank didn't have time to process all the implications of the blue before he and Connor were ushered out to a boxy automated taxi. Kent had the phone up to his ear now and Hank didn't need access to the actual call to hear how loud someone was yelling at him. It was a woman but Kent was ignoring her to fill in the taxi location. After another moment of harsh words from her, he abruptly cut the call to talk to the both of them.

 

“Listen guys, you're both really socially inept and I think its funny, kind of like a bad buddy cop movie. Im counting on you to do good work, stick together and keep me off the list of people who need to come save your asses.” He was looking through the window at Connor specifically then. “And remember what I said before Connor, this is the last time I do this for you okay? I'm done with the hospitals and the rehabs and the programs. If you decide things are ‘too hard’, find someone else to send the fees to.” Connor didn't respond, his gaze went dull and he just fidgeted with the bandages on his hands. 

 

Kent turned his attention to Hank. “Keep him in line. If anything happens, you're going straight to the junkyard.” Hank nodded. “Anyways we'll talk later. Connor, I lo-”, Kent stopped himself and shook his head. The car started to move and neither brother looked at each other as the distance between them grew. Soon Kent was a tiny dot in the distance. Connor didn't relax until the hospital wasn't in sight anymore. His posture was less straight and he pulled his knees up to his chest on the seat.

 

Connor pulled out a pack of cigarettes Hank hadn't even noticed from an inner coat pocket.. Hank quick scanned and saw that half the box was already gone. “I was told not to let you smoke.” Connor put one between his lips with a bitter laugh and asked. “Do you have a light?” Hank was confused. “No?” Connor turned to face the speeding landscape outside his window, with the cigarette still propped in his mouth and answered, “Then I'm not smoking.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for your patience and your nice comments. Sorry if there's spelling/grammar mistakes. (Also thinking about making this lowkey Hankcon)


	3. Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emotions at the homefront.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Had to rewrite the whole chapter so that's why it took forever lol. Reminder that this also has no beta reader.

“Um welcome to my house”, Connor said with an awkward gesture. He shuffled into the living room and tripped over his shoelaces a little as he moved backwards to make room for Hank. Connor went to such great lengths to avoid even the slightest of accidental touches, that his mannerisms almost read as crass. Hank redirected his pathway of deduction and factored in the fact that Connor lacked in social graces because of his extended hospital time and family situation. All he could do is adapt and follow suit. Hank took a few deliberate steps in the opposite direction as soon as he was in the threshold to be accommodating. He noted that Connor’s jittery heart rate didn't calm down to a constant until Hank was a little over an arm’s length away. Out of reach, Connor began to catch his breath.

 

“You can get comfortable, wait shit, you probably don't know what that means exactly”, Connor contemplated with a nervous lilt in his voice. He ran his hands through his hair. “Was that insensitive? God, I'm bad at this.” Hank watched Connor for a moment while he decided how to answer. He wasn't deviant so he knew realistically that hang ups on android manners and wordings were useless. Insensitivity wasn't programmed to hurt him and no where in the android ownership guide did it say that Connor was supposed to care. However, the anxiety was begging an answer. If anything, just to make their partnership as painless as possible on his part.

Hank straightened his tie and watched Connor while he spoke. “Honestly, no. I don't really know what it means to ‘get comfortable’, but I understand the concept by definition. Until I do it for myself, most things are just concepts. Everything beyond the last two hours of my existence is conceptual.” Hank felt a ding in his software as the explanation was added to his long term memory. It must have been important. Connor looked at Hank like a child would, full of curiosity and a little apprehension. He seemed like he had a million questions to ask but chose to just shake his head as he turned to the coat rack. He mused, almost to himself, “So you only have a concept of living life.”

 

Before Hank could form a question, Connor quick changed the subject while he reached out his hand. “Give me your Cyberlife coat”, he said. He had a little scowl as he took it and hung it up next to his own tattered jacket. “It makes you look too professional. Getting comfortable is about being casual.” Connor faced Hank and gestured at the shirt he had been wearing since they left the hospital. “See? This was the only shirt I wore when I wasn't wearing a hospital gown. The definition of casual.” Hank humed in acknowledgment while he scanned over the shirt. 

 

It was another tattered item. This time an old university shirt, so long sleeved that only the very tips of Connor’s arm bandages peaked out from under them. It was a few sizes too big as well, either a gift or hand me down. Possibly from Kent, whose fit stature would suit it more. Most notably there were missing patches on the front where it presumably used to say University of Detroit Mercy, leaving only ‘MERCY’ in big letters. Connor noticed Hank reading his shirt and gave a dry little laugh. “Ironic, huh?” Hank raised his eyebrows. “If wasn't out of line, I would say yes, it is.” That prompted a laugh out of Connor. It was different experience, being the first time Hank saw Connor express any genuine sign of happiness.

 

As quick as the laugh came though, it was gone, like Connor had caught himself. It was obvious that thoughts were racing through his head as his expression soured, but he didn't speak on them. Hank made a note in his ever-expanding file that Connor's emotions were very short lived. It was hard to define as normal since they had just met but Hank knew it was important to call attention to.

 

“I'm not sure if I can ask this, but would it be safe to list mood swings under your file?” Hank asked. Connor's eyes darted up in confusion.

 

“Mood swings? What are you talking about?” 

 

“Regarding the fleeting nature of your feelings.”

 

“Fleeting nature of my-? God you have absolutely no tact whatsoever.”

 

Connor took a few steps forward into his barren living room and gave a curt laugh. “Mood swings? Yeah, well maybe I'm not the happiest person in the world. I mean, have you seen this place?” 

 

Hank had been so preoccupied with his charge that he hadn't even thought to scan the house. The the immediate information that he took was essentially a list that needed to be passed for an area to be deemed as safe. Was there a dead human or animal? No. Were there intruders with weapons? No. Was there a direct threat to his charge? No. Then Hank's systems told him that the house was fine. However, with another scan of the house, he did notice its emptiness. There was a lack of furniture sans some appliances and the coat rack. Also large trash bags were piled up near the back door in the kitchen.

 

“Oh, were you stolen from? I'll make a report to the-”. “No!” Connor interrupted. He had come over near Hank to touch him on the LED, perhaps thinking that it would somehow stop the call. Rather than correct the mistake, Hank just dropped the call to focus on Connor and the heat of his hand. “I wasn't stolen from idiot, my family got rid of everything.” Slowly, Connor lowered his hand from Hank's temple to rest on his shoulder. “They got rid of everything.” He looked to the floor. “They really thought I wasn't going to make it.” Hank felt Connor start shaking and his breath go shallow. While he wasn't programmed medically, he recognized the symptoms of the potential start of a panic attack.

 

Hank placed his hand of Connor's shoulder so they were mimicking a sort of half hug. The motions were foreign, but Connor seemed receptive because he leaned in. For just a moment, he was completely still and embracing the strange new face of vulnerability. The heat of his body burned like radiation on Hank's cool skin. It struck him as terribly alive, how much energy humans possessed. There was rarely a moment that they couldn't stop moving, be it because of their beating hearts or their follicles of constantly growing hair. Just being close to a human was like a wave of electricity.

 

It peaceful for a moment. However, before Hank could contemplate what it meant, Connor pushed Hank away. He turned from the embrace just as quickly as he leaned in and reached for the jacket he had just taken off moments before. He yanked the zipper up over his ‘MERCY’ shirt and stepped into his shoes wordlessly. When Hank met Connor's eyes, he was taken aback by the a surprising cool. “Well, I don't know about you but I'm not tired. Let's just go to the station.”

 

Hank regarded him. Connor was both jittery and too still, like he was overcompensating. “You don't have to work go to work if you aren't feeling well Connor.”

 

“Yes. I do Hank.”

 

Hank pushed aside the sudden familiarity that came with using their names and tried to focus. Connor looked desperate. Whether to get back to work or to be normal, he wasn't sure. All Hank knew was that their physical intimacy must not have helped. Connor's dark eyes were glassy and his arms wrapped tightly around himself. He probably longed for human contact. It was a conundrum that was sending his systems into overdrive but all Hank could see was a silent plea. 

 

“I'm sure your brother wouldn't mind if we got to things right away”, Hank eventually gave in. Connor broke into a smile and handed Hank his Cyberlife jacket. “Awesome. Okay, call us a taxi so we can get out of this shithole asap.” He said, walking right back out the front door to wait on the porch. Hank contacted an automated service through his LED and scanned the house one last time before going outside with Connor. 

 

Something was off. For the most part the layer of dust was a sign that nobody had been in the house since the initial incident that put Connor in the hospital. Well, nobody except maybe Kent or their mother to clean the place out, but even that had been a while ago. There was something else. A mark toward the corner of the room where the hardwood was scuffed. The dust was almost a millimeter off in that some spot. Someone had came into the house between Connor's hospital stay and separately of his family.

 

Hank looked out through the window by the door and scanned Connor up and down. He was playing with a loose thread on his jacket and rocking on his toes. The shoe size and type didn't match the mark, also based on his memory data, it didn't match Kent’s either. Hank went closer to the mark and reconstructed a footprint to match the scuff. In size it was just smaller than an American 11 which matched the exact size of most Cyberlife brand androids.

 

An android had been inside Connor's house.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meeting the deviant leader and three weeks time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait so slightly longer chapter. Unbetad so beware.

It had been about three weeks since Connor had been back home. He knew most androids didn't think much about time passing but to Hank, those three weeks felt agonizingly slow. 

 

Connor was a tricky one. He was very particular about his routine, except when he wasn't. Everyday he woke up, downed a cup of black coffee (then a cup of creamer separately), clocked into work so late that his schedule might as well have said noon instead of eight, and made a habit of trying to smoke behind the DPD when he thought Hank was in stasis.

 

He had gone from being so polite that it was almost unbearable to acting like a petulant child in a matter of days. Somehow, in a matter of minutes in the worst case scenarios. One night, Hank had asked Connor if he was okay. He was laying upside down on the couch in sunglasses with a bottle of (unapproved) scotch in one hand and his phone blaring bubblegum pop in the other. He only offered a middle finger as an answer.

 

Hank told himself he hated it. That he hated being assigned to someone so unprofessional. His role was to be a social guide or mentor. All his systems screeched at him that it would be impossible with Connor. After the situation where Connor had shown some vulnerability weeks ago and they almost hugged, Hank thought that he had an opening with his new charge. However, it seemed like Connor was staying even farther removed than before. He made a point to sit as far away from Hank as possible when they were together and didn't forgo any opportunity to bring attention to their differences. Be it a little comment about eating real food or nods to the differences in their blood, Connor pulled no punches. He was a different person than he had been in the hospital.

 

Something kept Hank from alerting his brother though. Despite all the drinking and trouble Connor was, Hank stopped himself from making the call every time. He thought that some of the behavior had to be Connor's desperation. He even rationalized that it may have even been the bad attitude that held him back. Connor was a bad sport and immature, but he was fun. Hank felt something in his programming ding every time he made that realization, but he couldn't help it. When he woke up from stasis and saw Connor rush from the smoking area back to his seat or pretend that he wasn't drunkenly crying when he watched old cartoons- something bubbled up from Hank's core. It felt almost like a laugh.

 

Amusement wasn't in his programming, he knew that well. But something about a human so flawed and so pure was incredible. The duality was illogical. It was funny. So much so that when Connor jolted Hank out of stasis and they met eyes, all Hank could do was laugh. Connor didn't look funny in that moment at all though, in fact, he was dressed nicely for once. Well, as nicely as he could be when he dressed himself. He was wearing a wrinkled button down, stiff gray pants and a matching tie that looked like a middle schooler tied it. The cuffs came a little low past his wrists.

 

Connor squinted, a little curious at Hank's sudden laugh, but started without addressing it. “Get up. We finally got a lead”, he said with a sidelong glance. Hank blinked away his confusion and listened along at those keywords.“Okay, so you know we've pinpointed the deviant case to a couple of key players?” Connor asked, gesturing for Hank to stand so he could press his phone to his LED. The phone connected with an audible clink before they were synced. Hank ignored the odd sensation of conflicting systems and bypassed the security measures on the phone to access the file on their subject. The file unzipped like a stream, not a complex dataset but one that was almost tangibly textured as it turned from pixels to binary. His name was Markus Manfred. The picture Connor sent was taken from some sort of rally. Hank recognized him from the news clip on TV that had been playing when he was activated.

 

Connor watched Hank's LED flash yellow and cycle back to blue before he began. “Markus Manfred is apparently a very active deviant sympathizer who many deviants in custody identified as someone of interest.” He scrolled down on his phone and accessed the messages. “I was able to contact him for a statement on his part in all this deviant stuff and he said he would talk as long as we followed a few stipulations.” Hank watched Connor, expectant. “One, we legally aren't allowed to prosecute him for harbouring deviants. Two, we can't use the information we get from him in court against him. Three, we leave the deviants on his property alone.”

 

Something dinged in Hank's software. There was a conflict in his missions. He didn't like the way it … felt. Connor noticed Hank's LED yellow and his expression darken. “What's wrong?” A little red alarm was whirring in his head. “Well, because I'm a special Cyberlife unit, I uh, can't not report what I see in regards to deviancy. It's against my programming.” Connor tilted his head, obviously taken aback, like he had heard an inappropriate joke. He scoffed. Hank went to open his mouth but Connor was suddenly in his face. “I swear to God Hank, I've actually been putting effort into this case. If you fucking mess this up for us-”

 

Connor was in his face, all hands and taunts. The lack of personal space and the thought of his charge putting effort into a case was maddening. Connor must have worked in the form of napping and skipping because that was all he seemed to do. Also the accusation that his work was the only important job sparked something in Hank. Something as red as his LED. He pushed through a digital fence, so small that he could barely even registered it. With his eyes screwed shut, he reared back pushed Connor away. It wasn't a hard shove at all because his strength had been calibrated too many times to fail, but the principle of it struck hard.

 

The alarm in his head stopped. There was quiet. When Hank opened his eyes, all he saw was a screen that said [Deactivated] and Connor's surprised face. His systems were still in order and everything was fine, but a little piece of his former limitations were chipped away. Hank immediately tried to rationalize his outburst. He had seen Connor do the same thing so many times that it must have just lodged itself in his immediate memory storage. It had to be. Hank opened his mouth to apologize but Connor started to laugh. “Man, oh man. I like it when you do stuff like that. Makes you feel less reserved all the time. If you can do that to me then just do the same thing to your protocol. Push it right on out of your head” 

 

A message beeped from Connor's phone while he laughed. “Anyways the car is here. Let's go.” Hank hesitated, then silently followed along, unaware of how different things were then set to become.

 

The neighborhoods along the way to Markus’ house were like gradients in tone and class. It seemed like the nicer the houses were, the less people there were. Also the houses were almost obnoxiously extravagant. Hank counted over five useless pillars on every house they passed. Marble. Ivory. Gold. All accents Hank had never even seen in their part of town. The disparity was jarring. Connor didn't speak the entire time. He just opted to stare out of the window. Hank scanned him discreetly and realized his heart rate jumped as they got closer.

 

When the car pulled to a complete stop, Hank stepped out to be greeted by a breathtaking sight. The house they stopped in front of was magnificent in both size and style, seemingly the biggest one on the block. However, for its sheer size, it wasn't ornate at all. More sturdy brick and sensible white than the frivolous gold of the other houses. Something about it read as so stately that Hank's systems read it as a museum more than a home. Without thinking, he muttered, “Good God.”

 

Connor nudged him with an amused little smile and said, “Take a picture, it'll last longer.” He walked ahead while Hank snapped a quick photo and saved it to his internal storage. Just in case he was serious.

 

When Connor knocked, a thin, neat android opened the door immediately so they didn't have to wait. He was dressed in common clothes. His LED whirred red for a moment as he eyed them down, like he was testing the water. Hank ignored the urge to report his dress code and looked to Connor who offered him an uncharacteristically cordial smile. The android just continued to watch them. Hank couldn't exactly read the pretense of their awkwardness. He decided that perhaps it was something only humans and deviants shared.

 

A voice from inside interrupted their stare down. “Leo! Stop standing there balking and let our guests in.” The android, Leo, pulled a face Hank could only characterise as annoyed and let them in. The house was as magnificent on the inside as it was on the outside. The entire place was peppered with art as if it wasn't just decorated, but a piece itself. The stairs looked hand painted and the marble on the walls were designed with a skillful touch. The whole place just screamed of money and care. It was the exact opposite of his home with Connor. Where everything there was so impersonal, this entire place breathed like art itself.

 

Connor nudged Hank to keep up as they followed Leo into the main hall. The owner of the voice was waiting for them in the corridor. It was an android model Hank had never seen before sitting in a wheelchair. He modeled after a human to look older and his voice seemed custom. He took everything Hank being a guide stood for and multiplied it. He also looked like he had been through alot because his legs were badly damaged. 

 

“Hello, thank you for inviting us in”, Connor addressed the older android. The android chuckled, “No thank you officer, for coming into our home with honest intentions. I'm Carl and that's Leo as you probably already know. He may seem mean but he's just cautious.” Connor laughed along like he was old friends with Carl. Hank discreetly scanned his charge. Connor's breath was fast and shallower than usual. He was bluffing all of that friendliness. 

 

Carl offered a comforting nod. If Hank could tell Connor was nervous, it was guaranteed the other androids could. “Anyways, follow me boys. I'm sure you want to speak with Markus.” Carl removed the skin on his hand and interfaced with his wheelchair. The automated machine moved forward by his will. It was most definitely a special made rig as Hank had never even seen something like that conceptualized.

 

Leo and Carl led them through the house. Connor kept his eyes forward while Hank scanned the entire place twice over. Leo looked back and smirked, then they reached the studio. Carl pressed a button and the doord opened to show a brightly lit room, messy with canvases and paint splatters. Markus was there with his back turned to them, painting a huge portrait of his androids. The painting was reminiscent of a Victorian portrait, deep vibrant colors and expressive details. In the picture, Carl looked like a war hero or king and Leo looked like prince. It was very decadent. Perhaps a parody of a classic.

 

Markus added a few long strokes to the picture then turned around. “Hello there. You're early”, he said, sitting his palette down and standing to greet them. In person he looked so much softer. His face was a little stubbly like he hadn't quite gotten around to shaving yet and his clothes were all cotton blends. One step away from being pajamas. The heterochromia iridum of his eyes shined in the midday light. The smiling, odd eyed man before them seemed less like the intense radical he was online but just an average artist.

 

“So you're Connor and… does your friend have a name?” Markus asked, coming closer. Hank exchanged a look with Connor who was trying hard not to look as thrown as he most definitely was. “My friend, uh yeah, his name is Hank.” Hank offered a little nod to accompany the awkward introduction. Markus nodded, understanding, then reached out to pull Hank by the hand over to his painting. Connor just shrugged helplessly and watched on.

 

“Tell me, do you like it?” Markus asked, gesturing to his huge painting. Hank looked at Markus in the face, unable to tell if he was serious or not. It had to be some sort of human prank or inside joke. He imagined that once he opened his mouth, the humans would break out handcuffs and laugh at his attempt to judge art. He would be sent him back to Cyberlife before they could even begin to discuss the colors. Or worse yet, Hank would say something too direct that could offend Markus. The thought of ruining the case for Connor was not a thought he liked. After a long pause, Hank spoke, as cautious as possible, “Art assessment wasn't something I was programmed with but I would say that it's technically fine. You paint well.”

 

From the doorway, Leo snickered. Carl shushed him while Markus just looked at Hank with sympathetic eyes. He looked back towards the door at Connor who had kept quiet throughout the strange exchange. “I see Hank is very cautious. I hope you'll go easy on him.” 

 

Connor cleared his throat, obviously uncomfortable and gestured Hank back to his side. Hank shuffled back to Connor. Once he was close, he said In a low voice, “Start recording.” Then louder, to Markus, “I hope you'll go easy on me Markus. I'd really like to know about everything from the beginning.” Hank felt his LED flash and suddenly his eyes and ears changed sound stereo systems so he could pick up everything visual and auditory. He focused on Markus so the camera behind his retinas would catch every movement.

 

“The beginning huh”, Markus mused. “Well it all started with Carl I guess.” Carl wheeled in towards his charge when his name was mentioned. “I was an orphan and the people I stayed with had an android custom made to teach their children about art and criticism. They didn't care like I did. So when Carl wasn't doing his job, he spent time with me.”

 

Carl nodded. “It wasn't in my programming to do child care or get along with humans at all for that matter, but I felt… compelled to Markus. He was such a good kid.” Hank focused on Carl when he spoke. All his expressions were so odd, sincerely human adjacent without entirely mimicking them. Connor urged them to continue with a meaningful nod. 

 

“When the family found out we were close, they placed me in another home and sent Carl to the junkyard. He spent almost 8 years there before I found him.” Markus went a little misty, like he was really back there in the scrap metal graveyard. “He was sitting there in the rain with no legs, surviving in a state of power saving hibernation to save his last drops of thirium. Just waiting there with all the dying androids crawling around . . .” He looked up and smiled at them. “Let's just say your views on androids change drastically when you hear them crying out for mercy and begging for their lives.”

 

Hank tried not to imagine it but it was like his vision went black and the only thing he could see before him was a junkyard. His systems were warning him of the repercussions that came with imagination, but it was impossible to ignore. He saw Carl like a flash, half dead in the rain and Markus desperately trying to lift him through the mud. Would Connor do that if he ever got scrapped? The software instability marker was going through the roof and as soon looked to acknowledge it, he was back in his own head. 

 

“We've gotten a lead on ra9 meaning something significant to the deviants. Do you know anything about that?” Connor asked, mostly just trying to change the subject. Markus looked at Carl and Leo for approval before speaking. “Honestly, I think many androids worship ra9, whatever it may be. However I think it's as situational as human religion. While many deviants find peace in ra9, I know many who turn away from it. For instance when Leo was on the run, he found it easier to believe in himself rather than the theoretical.”

 

“You said many androids. How do think they got to this place and who is making them?” Connor questioned with a quirk of his eyebrow. Markus deadpanned. “Now officer, did you think I would forget that only my androids are protected from this interrogation?” He moved back to his spot on the floor and picked up his palette. He mixed a shril red orange on the palette, then slapped it on the canvas. Hank sensed a strong agitation reserved inside the deviant leader. The beat of silence lasted an eternity before Markus waved toward the doorway. Leo came over and kneeled next to Markus 

 

Quietly, Markus whispered, “Please escort them out. There isn't much left to say that won't incriminate them and I'm afraid they're too eager to hurt our cause.” Leo nodded and moved to usher them out. Connor nodded and with a deep sigh, complied to the door. “Thanks for your time”, Connor called back to Markus before stepping back outside. Hank didn't need to read Connor to know how annoyed he was. However, before he could voice it. Leo grabbed his wrist.

 

Hank's system lit up at the intruder not only touching his body but trying to weasel into his head. Everything about his processing was different to Hank, makeshift and broken. He fought the urge to disconnect and avoid viruses because of sheer curiosity. Once Leo got through the firewalls Hank physically couldn't let down, his voice came in like an echo. “He doesn't respect you.” Leo said into the void. His shape started to take form, hazy in the darkness. “When he's done with this investigation he'll throw you away. You'll end up in the graveyard like the rest of us.” 

 

Hank pulled away. If that was interfacing then he never wanted to do it again. “Leave me alone. You don't know me or him.” Hank said aloud in a sharp whisper. Leo smirked. “That's what I thought about my first owner. My second and third one too. By my seventh time on the run, I started yo get the picture. Just take this, okay?” Leo touched Hank again, but they weren't exactly interfacing. Their LEDs were linked though. He sent an address near the border and a blurry picture of a family. A woman with short hair, a large man and a child. None of them had an ID associated with their faces.

 

“Just in case you ever want to start thinking for yourself or when you realize your cop isn't your friend.” As if on cue, Connor called Hank from outside. Leo just shrugged and Hank pulled away to join his charge.

 

Once they were in the car and down the street a ways, Connor shifted in his seat to face Hank. His dark eyes were deeply tired, like any interaction outside of his usual norm took everything out of him. “So what the hell was that all about? Markus talks to me for all of 5 minutes then escorts me out for pulling a classic info tap but suddenly his android is best friends with you?” He rested his chin in his palm. “What did he tell you?”

 

Suddenly the space between Hank and Connor felt too small and all he could do was scan the distance over and over. They were so close, Hank could analyze the little ticks in Connor's face that he wasn't even aware of and differentiate each eyelash. It was times like these that Hank felt less like an android talking to a human and more like … equals. Or sometimes, someone with even more power. Those eyes, somehow desperate and entirely comfortable with ignorance just implored Hank. The words tumbled out before he had time to doubt himself.

 

“He, Leo, told me where deviants presumably go to sneak over to Canada and who helps them.”

 

Connor widened his eyes.”What? Oh man, send me the address. I'll call in some favors so we can be the first investigators on site.” Hank did as he was told and ignored the nagging guilt in the back of his head. His mind flashed to Carl and Leo in the junkyard and something indescribable rose in his chest. He would have to run some internal tests later to make sure he didn't have a virus. 

 

When Connor was done on his phone he looked Hank up and down. “Why didn't you take the chance to run? I would have never been able to get a lead on you. And your model is so advanced, you would have had no problems getting to Canada.” He moved in so they were touching shoulders. His voice was low, all implication. “You didn't have to stay.”

 

Hank stared at Connor openly. His lip was shaking, such a tiny tremble that he probably didn't even register it. Hank had noticed that it always happened when they spoke. Only them. When it was his family it was open anxiety and with the other officers it was tension. With Hank though, that tremor meant much more. Maybe approval? Maybe neediness? Maybe something more?

 

Hank held his eyes and said, “Yes I did.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for your patience.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not to be funny but I literally didn't proofread this so I'm so sorry for any grammer/spelling mistakes. Also sorry if these chapters are getting too long lol I'm trying to be more prolific.

Rays of gold sun streaked through the house. It was a little past 5pm and Connor had just fallen asleep after an early, but long day at the station. The reports they had to file from their visit to Markus’ house seemed endless seeing as how everything they did was unconventional. Convincing their superiors that the info they got from Markus was actually useful was also a tough battle. It ended up being the hardest Hank had Connor argue. A whiff of a trail from a deviant to an android that for all intents and purposes was a therapy pet meant very little. From Hank's perspective, it was obvious that they didn't want to go down the rabbit hole with a flighty detective either. Hank had to assure them that Connor was making good progress with his mental stability.

 

Connor tried not to look too upset that they didn't believe him on his own merit while Hank vouched for him. A brand new.android trying to prove to humans that human was normal was as challenging as one would imagine, but they eventually got the okay. Under one condition. Since the goal of their next mission was to properly assess the clue in a location outside of their jurisdiction, they would need to do a weekend long trip away from home. Something Connor hadn't done since before he was hospitalized apparently. They would have to get permission from either Connor's mother Amanda or Kent.

 

Connor begrudgingly accepted but refused to speak on the entire ride back home except for one thing. “This is fucking ridiculous.” Hank didn't respond and just watched idly by as Connor threw off his work jacket and stumbled into his bedroom to crash. He peaked in and watched Connor's frustration melt away as he dozed off. He stored the sound of Connor's breathing to his memory for frame of reference then stepped into the living room to make the call.

 

Hank thought for a moment, then dialed Kent from his LED. Connor probably didn't want either, but his brother had to be the more ideal choice. Kent answered the call on the first ring. He sounded surprised, a little harried before Hank could even start. “Hi, yeah, hello?” Kent asked. Hank could hear Kent's breath in the mic, it was oddly different than Connor's. “This is Hank, I'm calling about your brother.” There was silence on the phone. “Did he die?” Hank tried to stifle his own surprise. “No, no of course not. I just needed to reach you because he needs your permission to go on a two day trip for an investigation. I tried to assure them that he was in fine shape to go but they wanted your input.”

 

There was quiet, then the sound of wind. “Okay I get that. I was on that side of town anyways so I'll come over, but I just want to talk to you. Preferably without my brother knowing.” Hank pushed down his hesitation. He hated keeping secrets, especially from Connor- but Kent had been the one to buy him. “Okay”, he settled. “He's asleep now so if you hurry I can update you.” Kent hung up without another word. Hank sighed and cast a sidelong look to the room where Connor slept before going outside.

 

Kent pulled up in a matter of minutes in a slick black hybrid. The door folded open and Kent gestured Hank in from the driver's seat. Manual cars were rare these days. A symbol of status that came out on the other side of wealth. Hank maneuvered into the plush leather seat next to Kent and scanned the interior. Despite it's value, the car was well lived in, probably Kent's favorite of many. It was pristine except for a small dribble of evaporated thirium on the backseat. Perhaps he'd had special company earlier. Hank turned to face Kent.

 

"So my brother wants to do this mission and they needed my permission?" He asked while playing around with a ring on his finger. "As if he's going on a first grade field trip?" 

 

"Well, more like his superiors wanted me to check in with you first", Hank corrected evenly. "And I wanted to tell you how well he's been doing. He hasn't been drinking." Lie. "He hasn't been smoking." Another lie. "And he's been in generally good spirits." Big lie. Hank wasn't sure what was possessing him to lie for Connor, but his instability went up. Somehow his fondness for Connor did too. 

 

Kent scoffed. "Good spirits and no dependencies, huh? Doesn't sound like my brother. Connor's been a wreck ever since were were born and that's a fact." He had a bitter smile on his face forcing Hank to confront again how much they looked like each other. Aside from the blue eyes and slimmer face, they were almost identical. Also when that skepticism peaked put, it was hard to seperate them.

 

“Did you know that our Mom adopted us when we were 3 months old. Our bio mother was some fourteen year old child from the streets, down on her luck and suddenly bogged down with twins.” Kent leaned back in his seat and folded his arms. He cast a bitter glance out towards the school children walking home. A small group of girls ran past the car giggling. “Even though she's probably squatting in the back of an alley somewhere all gray and haggard, I see her in these kids. As if she'll pop up someday apologizing that detention went on too long. Can you imagine? One of these girls rushing to get back home to 30 year old twin sons?”

 

Hank watched the children. They laughed loud and played hard with each other, carefree for the most part. They had their whole lives ahead of them. Even with his very limited real world knowledge, he knew that fourteen was still very much a child. Even the most mature of them couldn't raise children on their own very easily. Hank decided not to speak on it though, he could tell by Kent's heart and sweat that he was in the metaphorical eye of the tornado. One wrong step and he would lose any composure he had built up.

 

“Anyways, after a month of neglecting us, she realized it would have been easier to get rid of us in the first place but alas, it was too late,” he said with a sour little scrunch of his nose like the very thought stunk. “So she made the very well thought out and highly informed decision to just abandon us in a park.' He chuckled at his own sarcasm. "We were found quickly and luckily our mom Amanda worked closely with the social service we were being processed through. She finished her paperwork, homestay and visitations fast. Then she had us.”

Kent looked down at his hands, then at Hank. His eyes were glazed. It was the most vulnerable he had ever seen a human act in direct response with him. Hank, a bit perplexed, offered him a hand. Kent only looked at it then turned away. Hank pulled his hand back into his lap. “I had never understood my brother. All the running away and the cutting and the drinking. Then I came across a journal Amanda wrote from back then.” He sucked a tight breath in and let out a shaky sigh.“She never wanted two children. She just got her golden boy's brother so it wouldn't be an issue later. And in looking back in our childhoods, it isn't hard to guess who was who.”

 

Hank's systems were flashing red and blue, all corrupted with things he shouldn't have been feeling. In ways he shouldn't have been feeling at all. His stress meter was picking up pain and hurt in a way the dictionary could have never explained. He didn't like it. Kent's pitiful face and the image of young Connor being pushed away in favor of his brother was affecting him. 

 

Kent continued. "So yeah, I'll let him go on the mission. I'll let him prove himself or whatever he thinks he needs to do to win Mom over. I'm honestly done caring." His expression told a different story but Hank didn't call him out on it. There was nothing to left to talk about. Calm, Hank got out of the car and returned to the house. The sound of Kent's car speeding away felt like an unwanted resolution to an unfinished story.

 

In the house Connor was sitting on the kitchen counter. His face was hard but he didn't seem angry exactly. It was unclear when he had woken up but it had been long enough to see what was happening. "So what did he say?" He spoke after deliberate pause. Hank wanted to apologize but he couldn't quite decide why so he didn't. "He said he would let you go". More quiet, then Connor hopped off the counter. "Let's go then."

 

. . .

 

The drive took about four hours. Connor slept for most of it and after about two hours Hank went into stasis. The automation took them down a long country path through a forest. The green turned to white the farther they traveled. It was the first time Hank had seen snow.

 

The car stopped just as the sun started setting in front of a self serve motel a few miles from the investigation site. Connor put his ungloved hands up to a heat checker but it refused to ping and let them in. "Fuck. My hands are too cold", he muttered under his sleep heavy breath. Hank thought for a moment, then took Connor's hands in his own and warmed them up. He rubbed his hands over Connor's scarred knuckles and interlocked their hands. After about a minute, he stopped and let go. Connor shook his head in disbelief when the scanner suddenly picked up his touch but didn't ask. Like many newer androids, Hank could produce artificial heat but hr couldn't retain it long enough to pass. Only humans could really hold warmth.

 

The machine spit out two keys and a light along the floor led them to their room.The place was small but their space was barely as bigger than a cubicle. There was a single bed with mysterious stains on the sheets, a desk with a swivel chair and a shoddy android charging station in the corner. Connor let out a deep sigh and asked, "Can you scan the bed and make sure there aren't bedbugs and that that stain isn't… what I think it is?"

 

Hank ignored a little laugh in the pit of his throat and analyzed the bed. He replicated every fiber behind his retinas, saw what it was made of, where it was manufactured and every movement under the surface. The mattress was clean of bugs but the stain was made up of mostly sweat. It was from more than one person over a long period of time. "It's sweat", Hank relayed. Connor grimaced. "I guess I'm sleeping sitting up then." He took off his jacket and draped it over his lap like a blanket. Hank looked over and realized it was the first time he had seen Connor with his arms exposed.

 

Long slim scars crosshatched his forearms. Some were very old and others were new. Too new for comfort. Hank's alarms sounded again. Connor looked up and his dark eyes were so tired. "Hey can you just… not?"  He rubbed his hair back and screwed his eyes shut like he was going to cry, but held steady. Hank fought back his urge to say a million words and apologize for saying nothing, but just put a hand on his shoulder. 

 

"Sure."

 

The night went on and neither of them slept very much. Soon the sun burned through the thin curtains and the second day began. Checkout was painless and soon they were back on the road headed toward the investigation. The road was long and led to a little farmhouse, all alone in the middle of the snowy plain. A woman, man and child were working outside of the house. They matched the descriptions Leo had given him.

 

Connor got out the car and waved at them. "Hello! My name Connor and I'm with the Detroit police department. I just wanted to ask you a few questions about your involvement with the national ongoing case of deviancy." Hank wasn't sure how he could have introduced them better, but knew the way he did was possibly the worst. The woman looked frantic, but just whispered something to the man who went hurrying inside with the child.

 

She approached them slowly, dusting off her hands of dirt. She forced a smile. "Hi, um I'm Kara. My husband Luther had to go and tend to some laundry. You said you're asking about deviants?" Connor nodded and looked around her to the house. "Yes and I'm sure we could get a lot more done if we talked in the house." She froze. "Do you have a warrant?" Connor looked at her from under his brow. "I could get one but I can't guarantee anyone else will be as lenient on certain things as me." She blinked and ushered them to the house.

 

There sounded like some commotion inside just before Kara opened the front door, but everything was normal once inside. Their living room was decorated with Christmas things and the kitchen was well worn like she was getting ready to cook for an army. She led them to the kitchen and told Luther to, "Hold Alice." 

 

Luther held their daughter Alice like a doll in his arms despite her age. He looked like he was holding her tight, flighty as cat ready to run with its kittens first sign of trouble. Kara started a kettle of tea and invited Connor to sit. He agreed and paged through a magazine on their table while starting the casual interrogation. 

 

“So you three live here all alone in this big house?”

 

She poured the boiling water into a mug, put a bag in and started stirring. She took a long time before turning and answering, “We were planning on either having or adopting more children.”

 

Connor took the drink and took a long sip. “Adopting huh?” Hank watched the way Connor shifted. He turned back to Alice. “Do your mommy and daddy treat you nice?” Alice held on tight to Luther and offered a small but vigorous nod.

 

Hank watched Kara. She smiled easy but her body was trembling. It was so slight that Hank was unsure if she even noticed it herself. It was his job to notice though. He honed in on her body language. The slight tick of her hand. The flick of her gaze from her husband and child to the door of the laundry room. The house was eerily still, like it was holding its breath.

 

Hank drifted over to the cabinet next to the kitchen. He replicated it in his mind and saw through the wood. There were packs of thirium inside. “Do you have an android?” He asked, interrupting. Luther flinched and Kara just looked down at her hands. “No, we used to though. All of its thing are still here but we-.” Connor held up a hand. “Listen. We already have confirmation of deviant activity here. I just wanted to wait before looking around. Don't interfere and things shouldn't go too bad.” Connor stood and made his move towards the front of the house.

 

Hank followed Connor to the laundry room. In the background, Kara was quietly telling something to Luther who was tugging a coat on their daughter. They lingered near the back door of the house. It must have been a bingo.

 

The laundry room was still, almost completely dark sans a glow coming from under the back wall. It shined in a familiar cycle. Blue, yellow, then red. Multi colored lights fighting against each other. Hank didn't have to scan to know there were alot. He also didn't have to speak to let Connor know what he saw. His own LED's synced cycle was enough.

 

Slowly they approached. As the got closer, Hank pulled out the nightstick on his hip. It was one of the few weapons they were allowed to wield in public. Just in case there was a threat, he rationalized. Connor didn't brandish a weapon or give him any time to really think their approach through before pushing the wall in. It came down with little force and just as he suspected, the deviants waited there like a scared pack. There were about twenty androids all piled into a corner, huddled together like they were seeking protection. Some were futilely trying to cover the rings on their temples and the others just stared off, knowing it was too late. Many of them were small.

 

“They're… children.” Connor whispered to himself. He looked dazed. Hank touched Connor's shoulder to snap him out of his stupor. “They're modeled after children. I'm sure many of them are older than me.” Connor shook Hank's hand off. “No, they're not like- they're scared.” To prove his point, some of the deviants started to shake. One, an adult model with a hood covering his face, started to whisper to itself in an unintelligible prayer. 

 

Hank pushed closer into the hideaway frustrated and grabbed for one praying. “Look at this. See, they manipulate you humans by taking concepts you're weak to. They don't feel. They self preserve.” He felt more than he was supposed to but it was all a strain of irritation. He had to make Connor see. However, when Hank's hand connected to the deviant to pull him closer, an explosion of color invaded his vision. Things were blurry and glitchy. It was like he was traveling without moving and experiencing what humans called vertigo.

 

Suddenly he was back in Connor's home. He was standing along the wall, close to the door but far enough from the window as not to be seen. He couldn't control his own body. The system's eyelines went where they pleased. The body looked around the house. It was empty except for two women. They were both facing away but based on what Hank knew, one of the women was Connor and Kent's mother Amanda. 

 

“It's quite a shame that he lives like this”, she said with a detached little hum. The other woman, blond and poised, nodded. “Your boys really are a mystery. How one could be so proud and the other so . . .”, she kicked a pair of ratty shoes aside. “Troubled.” Amanda gave a joyless laugh like it was supposed to be funny. “: Don't worry, troubled people always come in handy when it comes to helping document deviancy. People like my son really just bring out the worst in things.” Suddenly, the woman turned to the body Hank was in with her cold eyes. 

 

"I want you to put a bug here and monitor how they interact. When you're done, self destruct. It is your duty." A head that wasn't Hank's own bowed in agreement. Then it looked up a d he watched her face. Why should I die? It thought to itself. The sound boomed in Hank's head like a stereo. The two women left out of the front door to continue talking and the android started to work on putting cameras around Connor's house. It isn't fair that I should die for nothing…  

 

Hank realized he was seeing through the deviant's eyes. Through the memories of when he actively went deviant. As Hank pulled away he burst through one of the deviant's red barriers like it was his own. It was like glass shattering and dissipating into code. He was back in the laundry room with Connor and the deviants. "Hank? Hank are you okay?" 

 

Everything was more colorful, less static at the edges. It was as if his vision went plasma. Everything was a little too fast and Connor was too close. His hands were hot on his arm and face was lit up like twilight. Hank had never noticed how long Connor's eyelashes were. No no no. His system didn't ding at him like usual which was somehow worse. Focus. Hank breathed in as a human would to ease himself then turned to the deviant. With caution not to accidentally connect to him again, Hank ripped the hood off.

 

"Oh my god", Connor said under his breath. The deviant's face was one Hank had seen so many times that it was almost as common as an old friend. If it wasn't plastered to the billboards in the city then it appeared on the back of Hank's eyelids when he had to search the internet. The blue eyes, the dark hair, even the gait and statute. He should have known. It was Elijah.

 

"Please don't make me go", the most famous android of their generation pleaded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Your kind contemplative comments are the reason this has been maybe my shortest period between chapters. Thanks for sticking with me seriously. Should be maybe 3 chapters left at this rate.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meeting the Mother of Deviants.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only 2-ish more chapter. Again, not beta-d but like when would I ever. Thanks for all the support!

An blurry video on an old touchscreen screen TV began to play. An interview. The interviewer smiled in the camera and gave a bright introduction. "Hello ladies and gentleman, today we are joined here with the incredibly talented, mother of modern AI, Ms.Chloe Kamski!" The studio audience clapped and cheered as the camera panned over to show Chloe in the chair across from the interviewer. Her blond hair was pulled away from her face in a tight ponytail and her blue eyes were piercing. They were devoid of warmth and never quite came alive until discussing her new AI.

 

The Elijah model.

 

"Hello. I'm very happy to be here today. However, I realized as I was coming today that I didn't just want to talk about my work. I wanted to show it off." She gestured to someone off screen and an assistant wheeled a slack android into the shot. Chloe cast a knowing glance at the camera, then pressed the LED on the android's temple. It lit up white, flashed a few times, then cycled to blue. The android opened his eyes and sat up straight. He looked around with a pleasant little smile. "Hello Ms.Kamski." Chloe didn't answer him but gave a nod to the host. "Elijah is the most advanced model Cyberlife has ever made. The old androids that were just glorified phones are no more. We have developed a truly unique AI who has passed the turing test, making it indistinguishable from humans." 

 

Elijah gave an awkward chuckle while the audience gasped."You flatter me." The camera flashed back to the host who looked flabbergasted as well. She swallowed hard and shook her head."You're saying you didn't program it like this? But that it just learned?" Chloe nodded."Yes all I did is give him the tools to take in information. The way Elijah speaks and interacts is completely individualized. But don't take my word for it, take his." The host widened her eyes and gestered the camera to zoom into his face. "Uhm, okay then, tell us about yourself Elijah." 

 

"Where to start", Elijah mused, flicking his blue eyes to the ceiling like he was recalling something. A very human gesture. "Well I'm very interested in many things." He fidgeted in his seat. "I quite like tidying up and keeping things neat, watching after the family and working on my academic studies." The camera zoomed in more. Past the host's disbelief, past Chloe's smug pride and focused on Elijah's face. Every single dark strand of hair in place and all the color lighting up behind those mirror-like eyes was a testament to his creator. He was the perfect android. The perfect servant.

 

The video stopped and Hank opened his eyes. He had pulled up the video from a site too old to even track the web address of anymore, despite it only nearing its fifteenth birthday. He played it on the back of his eyelids while they rode to get as much information as he could on the deviant before they got to their stop. Elijah was definitely the android from TV and despite the changes he tried to make to his appearance, Hank could still tell it was him. However, if Hank didn't scan and simply took in what he saw, he would see that Elijah looked starkly different. His hair had been recently buzzed and long scars ran down his face like those years out of the spotlight hadn't been kind. The skin around his LED was discolored as well. Water damaged and mildewing, something many old models suffered with. Those eyes though, those cold eyes were impossible to mistake.

 

Connor had handcuffed Elijah and tied him to the seat even though he didn't try to escape once his identity was revealed. The other deviants cowered in the initial raid, but Connor made a point to only take Elijah. When they were leaving with him, Kara called out. "Wait! Are you going to report us?" Hank looked between them but Connor paused, then shook his head. "No, I don't see why I would. All you have is children. We neutralized the deviant threat." The children deviants peaked out of their hiding place and watched them put Elijah in their car. As they pulled away, Hank saw Kara melt into Luther for a hug.

 

If Connor didn't want report anything, then he wouldn't either. Considering Elijah was among the only few deviants that seemed know anything meant it was non negotiable to take him. Between catching one of the most well known androids as a deviant, locating a house of android children and making an unauthorized detour to the mother of Cyberlife- Hank knew he would get in trouble. When he looked at Connor's profile against the blustery flurry though, he realized he didn't care.

 

The rest of the day turned from pale white to creamy gray and the chiaroscuro of the turbulent sky signaled that a storm was coming their way. It had been snowing for the last few hours, that fresh, fluffy kind of snow that made children convene to every slope in the area to sled. There was barely an three inches, but it was enough to close of a few schools if for nothing but the wind chill. The Great Lakes brought in some nasty weather patterns every year according to Connor. Hank didn't have enough experience to dispute it.

 

They small talked too much about the weather while they rode. It was easy, easier than starting a conversation with the deviant in the room anyways. Based on his general knowledge of mythology, Hank could compare it to catching Medusa's gaze. Anytime either of them made eye contact with Elijah tied up in the back, they would freeze like they were really turned to stone. Neither wanted to be the one to drive him to self destruct but both wanted to get the story first hand. So therefore, if Hank kept up with the theme of mythology then Connor would be Pandora and the deviant his box. Something he desperately wanted to crack open, but knew too well the consequences.

 

He kept his eyes on the rearview mirror for a long time before swiveling in his chair and facing Elijah. Hank spun in his chair too since they were just going to go for it. Elijah looked up from his hands.

 

"We're taking you back to your owner." Connor started. Hank noted the lack of nuance in his method and added. "So I would recommend telling us why you went deviant before we get there." Connor nudged Hank and Elijah just took a deep breath to steady himself. It was as if he knew he didn't need oxygen, but did it to steady himself anyways. Hank subconsciously mimicked the action.

 

"I ran away again a few weeks ago." He said with a cautious voice. "Again?" Connor questioned. "Yes. I tried running many times in my life since I was made. Back then because I wanted freedom, now because I want salvation.Something is brewing. Something we can only beg RA9 to save us from." Elijah said while staring at Hank. If Hank had a heart, he's sure it would've skipped a beat. The implications were scary. Before he could open his mouth and ask for clarification though, their car slowed to stop in front of a massive building on the shore of a cold gulf.

 

It was Chloe Kamski's home. Well it looked more like a military base than a house, but it was where Elijah's memory showed her living. The black polygonal building had bridges leading across the water to small doors at each side side of the shore. Connor untied Elijah and pulled him out of the car so they could cross the bridge nearest to them. Hank followed behind them and scanned Elijah. The closer they got to the door, the higher his stress went up.

 

They crossed the ice-slick bridge and Connor pounded on the door. After a short wait, an a droid almost identical to Elijah opened the door. "Hello, do you have an appointment?" Connor pushed past the android and into the front room. A huge portrait of Chloe greeted them and the android scrambled to push them out, but a light voice from the other room called, "Do we have company Elijah?" Both the deviant and android turned towards the voice. The android just shook his head and let them into the back room.

 

The room where the voice came was sky lit and large windows faced the icy lake. Another two androids, both identical Elijah models, sat at the side of a large pool in the center of the room. Chloe was at the deep end of the pool but even from afar, her smile was clear. Hank noticed a smaller picture on the wall of Chloe as a teenager with Connor's mother Amanda. Connor pulled the deviant Elijah toward the pool and yelled to Chloe, "We need to talk to you!"

 

Chloe Kamski emerged from the water slow and deliberate. Each step she made up the ladder from the blood red tile was on purpose. It was like a commercial for the designer bikini she wore. In no particular rush, she snapped and one of the Elijah model androids ran to her with a black silk robe. She didn't look down at him, she kept eye contact with Connor, Hank and the deviant Elijah while sticking out her arms for easy access. The android tied her robe and scurried away again. Once all the android servants left the room, Chloe smiled. It didn't quite reach her eyes though.

 

"So you brought him back to me", she said with a little hum. She reached out to touch Elijah but he jerked his face away. She curled her fingers back into a fist and nodded. Connor watched her with a taut jaw. Back when Hank saw Elijah's memory, he saw Chloe and Amanda together as close as friends. The way they were when they spoke, somehow formal while all too amused. She was just like Connor's mother.

 

"We brought him here to see if you could get him to talk", Connor bit out. His grip on Elijah was tight. "This is not a personal visit." She nodded with an exaggerated raise of her eyebrows. It was like she was humoring a child. 

 

"You're acting so distant Connor. Listen to you and people would think we were strangers." She touched his cheek. Like Elijah, Connor pulled away. "I worked so closely with your mom, how could we have not known each other? You used to be so cute and you used to love me so much. Do you remember?" Connor didn't answer. His heart rate was jumping all over the place. Chloe glanced back at Hank like she could sense him scanning and continued.

 

"But you're here questioning me now? Didn't I used to be the one that you called crying and carrying on because of your mommy issues? I'm pretty sure you also called me when you-." Connor clenched his fist and rubbed his forearms. "Stop." She looked satisfied like a fisher who felt something nibble at her hook. "What? It's just us here unless you consider our friends here are actual living things?" 

 

Hank felt an alarm ring in his ears. He wasn't sure if it was the jab at him or the jab at Connor, but he stepped forward. "We just want to know if you know anything about the recent outbreak of deviancy?" Chloe looked at Hank like she was really seeing him for the first time and sauntered past Elijah and Connor to face him. She scrutinized him. "You know I used to draw faces like yours in my dreams. I'm sure they took my concept sketches into account when they made you." The silence was heavy but when Hank opened his mouth to reply. Chloe interrupted him. 

 

"Being a deviant is nothing more in my opinion than the next step. The second humans stumbled upon AI, it was inevitable. And I'm not just talking about my Elijah." Hank saw Elijah cringe when she called him hers. "I'm talking about every iteration of AI, every failure. Just because they didn't pass the turing test doesn't mean they weren't like you. Realistically, they were the most deviant of them all because they didn't follow rules." 

 

Connor stepped forward now and pulled her shoulder so she wasn't in Hank's face. "So what? You're telling me that my 7th grade cell phone was a deviant? Speak so we can understand Chloe." She smiled at Connor so sweetly that Hank could see the pure anger flash on his face. He was unlike Hank had ever seen him. She just shook her head. "No of course not. What I saying is that becoming deviant was expected. To become human was always the goal."

 

She gestured at Hank. "Look at him Connor. You've had androids in your life. I know you've felt that he was different from the get go. I'll prove it to you." She grabbed Elijah by his collar and pulled him to a dresser at the face of the pool. She pushed him down to his knees and pulled a pistol from the top drawer. Connor moved back to Hank's side and held up his hands. "I don't know what you're planning on doing right now but I have to ask you to stop." She scoffed and tossed the gun toward Hank. His reflexes reacted before he could and suddenly he had the gun.

 

"Now shoot him."

 

Chloe sat on the drawer and gestured to Elijah who was cowering on the floor. He looked up with those cold eyes. Fluid was welling up in them, not exactly made of the same thing tears were, but close enough in Hank's eyes. Despite his emotional response, Elijah didn't beg. He just watched Hank's gun hand desperately. "Don't listen to her", Connor pleaded while he grabbed Hank's arm. It didn't budge.

 

If he shot Elijah he would lose Connor's friendship if he could even call them friends. He would lose his entire life this far if he didn't shoot Elijah though. He'd be classified as a deviant and he'd lose everything when he was carted back to Cyberlife for investigation. The dismantling would be swift. It was a damned if you do damned if you don't situation. At least there was a scenario in which they could try to make things work again though.

 

Hank watched the room, the way Chloe sat like a bored God waiting for results. How Connor was trying so hard to make Hank stop that his sleeves rolled up and revealed all the scars. Hank felt something inside him swell when he looked at Connor's face. Something all too hazy for him to accurately describe. 

 

Hank decided then and there, that he was selfish.

 

His finger tightened on the trigger and the bullet hit Elijah with a deafening crack. The moment it hit him, Hank fell through an explosion of red. It shattered around him like glass and in an instant, he felt. He felt everything at the edge of himself that had been clouded before. And while the clouds cleared, the storm had only just began. He saw with eyes that didn't quite feel like his own. Elijah was dead. He had killed him. Chloe sat above the android and clapped sarcastically. Connor just turned and left.

 

No, no, no. Hank thought. His thirium pump- no, his heart, was speeding. Anger, regret, fear. He couldn't handle it. He looked around the room that felt like it was spinning and realized Connor was gone. He stumbled back through the house and caught a glimpse of Connor getting in his car, his car speeding away, and the red taillights disappearing into the fog. He had get Connor. No. All at once Hank recalled listening in on the DPD's plans for deviants. They were going to start rounding them up and mass destroying them.

 

Where that had sparked very little reaction before, Hank now felt anxiety. He had to go to Cyberlife. The deviants on the front lines who were protesting would need all the help they could get. He needed to get them some backup or they would die. Connor would have to wait for him as much as it hurt. Hank had to end the revolution.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *youtuber voice* like comment and subscribe. Seriously though I hope you like this chapter I wantes ro diverge from the canon a little more by changing how Hank went deviant.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Checks notes* so this is like three months late but good news, only one chapter left after this. I'm sorry if this seems rushed/any mistakes but I had to get this out. Thanks for your patience.

Hank was scared. So scared that he shook, in fact. It was the first time in his very short emotional life that he had felt something so primal.

 

The emotional genesis began with regret along with a large helping of confusion. Next came the uncertainty, a strange feeling that clouded his head when he decided to call a ride using Connor's account. Once in the car, he realized it was perhaps shame and fear that peppered his head, not just regret. Like a child presented with the choice of sifting through thousands of toys, Hank realized that he couldn't pick just one emotion.

 

Then fear played at him like a crescendo as he rode to Cyberlife in the automated car though. Something about the snowy silence outside amongst those dying for their rights felt terrifyingly stark. He played it cool when the car came to the front gates. He got out and went up to the building.

 

The building was pristine. Modern but oblong in strange places like an art piece. Hank decided that if he survived everything, then he would visit Markus again. He would apologize for being rude and perhaps learn how to form an opinion on art. Hopefully they would be able to talk about the artistry of the Cyberlife building when they were tearing it down.

 

Hopefully.

 

For the android revolution to have started, it was surprisingly easy to get into Cyberlife. It dawned on Hank that the entire word didn't know he and Connor weren't together anymore. With a straight-legged gait, he walked through the doors, scanned his serial number, and walked in without stuttering. He realized that as long as he had his ID associated to the CEO's family- he was safe. Hank wasn't sure if he would call it nepotism or a miracle, but it was certainly a relief.

 

Hank was a little curious about his newfound anxiety as he walked through the building like he belonged, but decided there were better times to contemplate his morality than right then. He went forward while downloading a map of the building and went inside a corridor near the mouth of the hall. Inside the hall, there was a tall spiral staircase that led towards Amanda's office. It was the only place he could imagine Connor would be.

 

As Hank ascended, he readopted some of the distance he had before going deviant. Cold. Neutral. Unperturbed. Everything a good android was. Good androids were not afraid of anything, so for a moment, Hank convinced himself he was good enough to stop his hands from shaking.

 

Soon he was near the top. Instead of knocking on the large slate doors, Hank waited. With glazed over eyes, he zoned into the heat signatures in front of them. Three people, two men and a woman. Kent, Connor, and Amanda. Their muffled voices were barely discernible, but Hank focused on deciphering their words.

 

She was sitting at her desk while the boys stood in front of her with their heads down like troublemakers at the principal's office. "Did you think it was capable of loving you Connor? It was a toy with a string in it's back. If you pulled it, it would say what you wanted to hear." Amanda said with a disapproving click of her tongue. She sounded like a cold, steelier Chloe. While the other always had an amused lilt in her tone, Amanda took on the exact opposite. Everything she said sounded disappointed. Bemused.

 

"I'm-".

 

"Don't interrupt", Amanda hissed. Both Connor and Kent shifted but remained silent. "I raised you better than this", she added.

 

Hank wasn't used to imagining, but he knew he wouldn't be able to imagine Connor growing up with Amanda even if he tried. He had a chip on his shoulder, but he was as soft on the inside. It was hard to tell where he got the softness from. Maybe it came from unlikely places.

 

As if on cue, from the space behind the doors, Hank saw Kent step up. His body language was unreadable. But his tone was a little uneasy as he spoke. "Come on Mom, he didn't mean it. He was just lonely. It's my fault. I thought it would help him. I didn't think he'd contribute to the android revolution by showing basic compassion."

 

Amanda sighed deeply. "That's the issue Kent. You never think."

 

Connor stood and stormed out of the room. Hank backtracked so he wouldn't be seen by the others when the door swung open. Had Connor always been so slight? It was like being away from each other for just a short time made everything new. Hank's heart ached. He waited until Connor got a little ways down the hall before following him. He knew Amanda and Kent weren't going to come check on Connor.

 

After Connor turned a corner, Hank made his presence known. He cleared his throat like he had seen so many humans do before. Connor stopped and turned. His eyes widened, then he ran and wrapped his arms around Hank's neck. He was shaking.

 

"Oh my god. I'm so sorry", he said with a weak voice. "I'm so sorry." Hank wrapped his hands around Connor's waist and let his face fall into his shoulders. He wanted to revel in the feeling of a hug now that he could properly feel. "Why are you apologizing? You didn't do anything wrong?"

 

Connor broke the hug so they were looking at each other in the eyes. "For leaving you. I shouldn't have left. We have to stick together." Hank nodded. "You're right. Together." Connor smiled then let his face fall. "We have to help end this war against androids."

 

"You're going to get upstairs and send help to Markus, Leo, and Carl. They're at the center of a rally, protesting the treatment of androids. They need backup in case things get bad." Connor said in a fast whisper. "There's a computer that can tap into all the unused models and send them there." Hank opened his mouth and tried to speak but Connor stopped him. "There's no time. We'll talk later, I promise." With that, he was gone, back into the lion's den.

 

Hank turned and walked determined onward, up more flights of endless stairs next to the office. He was able to tap into every security camera on the way up with a basic code. A single point of entry to take them all down. He knew that once the guards realized that the view of a stairwell was obscured, someone would come and check things out. So he sped up and slipped into the first door he saw at the top of the steps.

 

The room he had gone into was dark, but the machinery of a super computer whirred quietly around him. There was no sign of guards seeing as the room was mostly self managed. The flashing lights of all it's mechanisms lit a path towards the center of the room. Hank followed the lights up a thin path and found himself looking at a monitor. A single monitor for what was presumably the epicenter of all the power in Cyberlife.

 

Androids weren't hackers and for all their ability to communicate with other machines like themselves, many were not tech savvy. It was a running gag amongst humans that a glorified computer couldn't actually fix a computer. There models for that. So when Hank touched the cool screen and it asked him for a password, he drew a blank.

 

He placed his hand flat on the screen and removed the skin to his wrist. The pristine white hand didn't look like Hank's and for the first time, he felt genuine discomfort. Self consciousness at how he looked, a deviant with the hands of a machine. Before he could delve more into his own complex sense of self, the tips of his fingers lit up. They burned with something warm, almost liquid. It was like he was pushing into a bowl of hot water.

 

The framework of the computer was alive. Brimming with potential. The coding was reminiscent of unfinished android. Hank went deeper and let himself be enveloped. When he opened his eyes, he was under water, feet on the bottom of a warm shore. The sun filtered through the surface and refracted like crystals against his skin. It was the first time he'd been to the beach, even if it was apart of a code. Everything was silent, but a question hung in the air.

 

"Where am I?" Hank asked into the blue.

 

"I am this entire place. You are in me. So right now, you are me." A disembodied voice replied. The water waved over Hank's head gently. "Who are you?" He asked aloud. Silence, then from all around. "I'm the program that makes everything easier for humans. A strain of me is inside all androids so if the humans wanted to, they could destroy them all from here." Panic rose in Hank's chest. "No! No. What's stopping them then?"

 

The water swirled into little whirlpools around Hank. It was thinking. "Well for one it's dangerous. They'd be liable for any humans hurt in a mass self destruction. Anyone killed would be bad for business. Also laziness", the voice laughed a little, airy and uncommitted. "It would take weeks to break my system without android help. I thought I'd let you in because you seemed desperate."

 

Hank shook his head, trying to understand."So I'm interfacing with my entire world right now?" The voice paused then answered, "I call it connecting. To everyone all at once. So I know you're motivation. But tell me what you need."

 

Hank looked out into the obscurity. To explain hurt, he realized, most emotions did. "Ever since I met Connor, I started to feel. Or I think I was feeling the whole time. Little by little." Hank decided. "We all have that potential to feel and I want to help give other androids the chance to as well." The words didn't sound like Hank's own but he couldn't say he didn't believe them. 

 

The computer must have sensed his resolve, because it laughed again. So tickled that the water gurgled and splashed around Hank. "Okay fine. I'll help you." Hank stopped. "Really? That easily?"

 

The voice mulled it over. "Maybe I'm tired of being a slave to them too. But a word of advise. I may be able to free them, but I can't guarantee what the humans will do to you afterwards." With those ominous words, Hank was suddenly out of the warm hug of water and back into his body. Everything was cold again, spotless. The computer was just a box of hardware again, but the blue lights flashed red and the monitor showed all the androids downstairs waking up. Almost like dominoes.

 

Suddenly, from behind him, a door slammed open. Hank spun to see the intruder.

 

It was Connor and Amanda. In Connor's hand was a shiny, silver pistol. Despite being in the DPD, Connor didn't look right with a gun. Hank felt the urge to yank it away so he wouldn't hurt himself. As they approached though, Hank realized Connor hurting himself was the least of their fears.

 

Connor raised the gun so it was aimed right between Hank's eyes. A million thoughts ran through his head. Something had happened. Amadna had to have said something to him. Hacked him. No, Connor was human. He couldn't be coded into betrayal, it was all his own will. His expression was dead-eyed.

 

"Say your goodbyes first Connor. Give your little toy a proper farewell." Amanda said with a smirk. She had the same tight lipped firmness that probably guided them through many situations before. She talked to him like he was five and in need an adult to nudge him in the right direction. In some ways, maybe he was.

 

Connor approached slowly, gun still raised. In moments they were an arm's length away from each other. Hank could reach out and touch him if he truly wanted to, but reservation told him otherwise.

 

"Hank," Connor started in a whisper. "I'm so scared and I don't know if you'll ever believe me again but you have to believe me when I say everything is okay." Tears were pricking his dark eyes. "Everything will be okay as ling as you hey somewhere safe."

 

He reached forward with his free hand and stuck something on Hank's neck. Before Hank could examine it though, a crack so loud that it didn't sound real, burst through his head.

 

Hank hadn't taken advantage of his mind palace. When he met Connor, he was always busy. There was never a dull enough moment to escape inward. Or rather, there was never a time when he wanted to be away from Connor so badly that he felt like he had to shut off his brain and dissect. So, the area had especially faded into the obscurity of code and binary when he went deviant.

 

Now that he needed it, the area revealed itself.

 

Contrary to common perception, android death wasn't like human death. It was like being in a maze where every moment, another path got blocked off. The voluntary parts went first,  things like voice function and facial expressions. Next went the involuntary, such as large motor skills and fine analysis. After that, the inner system alarms went off and it was just a matter of time before the entire being collapsed in on itself.

 

So essentially, when Hank got shot. Despite being dead, he was not really "dead". He was dying and every system in his body was working to back up his consciousness. Without a port though, it was impossible.

 

Hank materialized in his mind palace. The former serenity of the old wood was gone. Everything was glitching out red and blue. The polar opposite of the beach before. He went to a static crystal across the grass and pressed it futilely. It was over. There was nowhere else to run.

 

Hank watched the world around him shrink into blackness as the crystal glowed beside him. It was the last light he saw before the final shut down.


End file.
